The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls

Software Support => GroovyMAME => Topic started by: retrorepair on January 14, 2013, 06:39:36 pm

Title: The Hi/Lo Shifter Issue/GroovyShifterMAME
Post by: retrorepair on January 14, 2013, 06:39:36 pm
Hey guys

I was playing Chase HQ on my racing cab earlier and found it pretty hard to get the shifting right since MAME (and by extension GroovyMAME) uses one button to shift up and the same button to shift down again. In pretty much any driving cab with a hi/lo shifter high will be on and lo will be off. This gets confusing real quick as you'll have to shift up (or down) and then up again to go down and.. it's a pain.

I was wondering if, since this build of MAME is far and away the best build to run on a cab, someone could add an option to disable this behavior so it'd operate as the original did?

This guy did it here, not sure if it still compiles on 147 though: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=83870.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=83870.0)

*EDIT* It doesn't all work properly, see below.
Title: Re: The Hi/Lo Shifter Issue
Post by: retrorepair on January 16, 2013, 08:10:41 am
Ok so I took it upon myself to compile a custom build of GroovyMAME which includes the patches which allow Hi/Lo shifters to be used with those game which originally allowed it.

For kicks I also included SailorSat's Virtua Racing outputs so if you have mamehooker and an ipac/ledwiz now you can get real lamp outputs from virtua racing  ;D

Below I've included the diff and here's the binary (x64 and windows only I'm afraid): http://www.sendspace.com/file/gauf06 (http://www.sendspace.com/file/gauf06)

Keep in mind to apply the diff and compile you will need to download the MAME 147 source, then apply u1, u2 and u3 diffs, then mkchamp's hi score diff (the regular one won't work, use hi_147u2 posted here (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,128907.msg1326612.html#msg1326612) by Calamity) then groovymame 147u3 diff THEN this diff.

If anyone finds this useful but sees something wrong let me know and I'll try to fix it. I'll probably only update this if something significant happens in MAME (like Final Lap or Super Chase get fixed or something).

Let me know if I'm treading on anyone's toes here or if I shouldn't be doing this.
Title: Re: The Hi/Lo Shifter Issue
Post by: Calamity on January 16, 2013, 08:20:04 am
Hi retrorepair,

Thanks for making and posting this for everyone interested.

Honestly I didn't get what the exact issue was with the hi/lo shifters when you first posted, but from what I grasp it seems like those games would be somewhat unplayable with default MAME controls, is it?
Title: Re: The Hi/Lo Shifter Issue
Post by: HaRuMaN on January 16, 2013, 09:02:03 am
ShifterMAME is set up for Hi/Lo shifters I believe...
Title: Re: The Hi/Lo Shifter Issue
Post by: retrorepair on January 16, 2013, 09:07:58 am
ShifterMAME is set up for Hi/Lo shifters I believe...

It is but it also doesn't have the benefits of GroovyMAME. It's also based on a very old version of MAME (.125 or there abouts?).

Hi retrorepair,

Thanks for making and posting this for everyone interested.

Honestly I didn't get what the exact issue was with the hi/lo shifters when you first posted, but from what I grasp it seems like those games would be somewhat unplayable with default MAME controls, is it?

Yes it's pretty difficult with default MAME behavior to say the least.

Games like OutRun or Chase HQ use one switch for the low/high gear. When the switch is on, the game shifts to high gear and when it's off it will switch to low gear.

In MAME currently it still uses one input but toggles it high or low every time you press it so on a real hi/lo shifter you would move it to high and it'd change no problem but when you move it down to low gear, it will stay in high because you have only toggled the gear. You would need to move the shifter back up to high to tell the game to go back to low gear. It gets confusing pretty qucikly :)
Title: Re: The Hi/Lo Shifter Issue
Post by: HaRuMaN on January 16, 2013, 09:28:51 am
very old version of MAME (.125 or there abouts?).

 :laugh2:

Very old version of MAME for me is like .36.  I think I'm still on 0.98, lol.
Title: Re: The Hi/Lo Shifter Issue
Post by: retrorepair on January 16, 2013, 09:35:37 am
Wow  :lol